


Echoed Mystery

by evelinaonline



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, Feels, Gen, Hurt, Manipulation, Season 8, ns8, sog, sons of garmadon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-07 12:20:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14080842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evelinaonline/pseuds/evelinaonline
Summary: He used to feel innocence. He used to feel fear. Now he only feels hatred.





	1. Innocence

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone has been theorizing about how my son- I-I mean, Echo Zane is Mr. E, and honestly, it's one of my favourite theories! This is a three chapter story of how our pure bean turned into the coldhearted biker gang member he is. I will be uploading a chapter per weekend. I hope you enjoy!

It wasn't always lonely at the lighthouse. At least Zane didn't think so.

Of course, ever since Dr. Julien left, things had been different. For example, Zane didn't get to hear his father's voice anymore or taste his cooking or help him out on his inventions. And that Leviathan had suddenly disappeared too.

Regardless, Zane didn't dare to step out of the lighthouse. His father had warned him not to and unless he stated otherwise, Zane wouldn't be leaving any time soon. He prefered to stare at the ocean from the top floor's window anyway. He would sit there for hours by himself, simply waiting for something to happen.

But it wasn't always lonely.

He wasn't alone, after all. He had Gizmo.

Things were way more enjoyable when Tai-D was around. Although Tai-D lacked the ability to talk, the two robots were always in touch. Tai-D would make tea for Zane, although he couldn't really drink it, and Zane would talk to him about his dreams and thoughts.

They'd even play chess together! Zane had memorised all the possible moves but for some reason, he always lost. He didn't mind though. It was fun.

Deep inside, Zane wished his father was there with them.

At first, Zane was counting the days. As time went by, he mixed the numbers up and got confused. The last number he remembered was 345 but Zane knew that the number would have increased a lot if he had continued counting. He could tell by the rust on his and Tai-D's gears.

He remembered his father mentioning something like a calendar to keep track of the days but Zane never really understood it and now it was too late to ask. He would have to talk to him about it once they met again.

His father promised they'd meet again.

Until then, Zane would stay true to his lifestyle. Play chess, look outside the window, make tea, play chess again…

"It looks like we are out of tea, friend." Zane said to Gizmo. The shorter roboted jumped in agreement. There weren't many things Gizmo could do to express his emotions. "Shall we get some from the basement?"

Zane made his way to the stairs and Tai-D followed him. Usually, Tai-D would be excited to roll down the stairs. However, it was nightime now and if there was one thing the small robot was scared of, that was the dark.

Zane couldn't understand why. It wasn't like the lighthouse magically changed once it got dark. It was still the place they were familiar with.

The two robots reached the bottom floor and Tai-D disappeared from Zane's side. "Have fun while playing with the gears!" Zane commented, familar with Gizmo's interests.

Zane walked down the narrow hallway to the back of the basement. Although they had been carefully not to waste it, it wasn't the first time they had ran out of tea. He stood on his toes to reach the top shelf. "Almost… There…"

He flinched at the sound of some metal dropping on the ground. Surprisingly, it didn't come from inside the basement. He could have sworn Tai-D had been there with him. If so, why didn't the sound come from there?

Zane gave up on the tea and walked out of the room. He glanced up the stairs, trying to spot his robot friend.

_Tap, tap, tap._

"Gizmo?" Zane could hear the faded sound of someone's footsteps, but couldn't see his friend.

_Tap, tap, tap._

"Gizmo, is that you?" Zane asked again, although he knew it was impossible for the source of the sound to be him, considering he didn't have feet.

_Tap, tap, tap._

"... Father?"

For the second time, Zane flinched at another sound. The sound of tiny wheels rolling against the ground made him turn around and see that Tai-D was approaching him from inside the basement.

The small robot tilted its head in confusion. Zane sighed in relief when he faced him. He was glad to see his friend was okay.

The feeling of relief didn't stay for long though.

_Tap, tap, tap._

"If you're here… Then who is there?" Zane said and turned towards the stares again, only to come face to face with another figure.

It was a girl, presumably at her late teens. She was dressed in black and her long blond hair was tied up in a perfect bun. Her eyes were pale green and her gaze was sharp as a knife's edge.

Zane didn't recognise the girl. He would have noticed if a third person lived with them, after all.

"You aren't my father."

"No." the girl spoke, not backing away.

"Who are you?" Zane asked.

"They call me the Quiet One." the girl said and backed away but Zane's gaze never left hers.

Zane looked down at Gizmo for a split second. It was clear that the smaller robot wasn't only confused, but also scared. "I am Zane."

"Oh, I know who you are." the 'Quiet One' was quick to respond. "But you don't."

Zane blinked in confusion. "But… I am Zane. Did you not hear me? I am built to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

The girl broke into giggles. "Is that what he told you?"

"You mean father?" Zane's eyes widened. "You know him?"

"No."

"Then how…?" Zane looked down at Gizmo again, who was now hiding behind his leg. "Have you been watching me?"

"They don't call me the Quiet One for nothing." The girl crossed her hands behind her back and started walking in circles around the android. "Hm… For a cheap copy, you do share a lot of the same aspects."

Zane tried not to break the eye contact and started spinning, eventually causing him to fall. "A… Copy?"

The girl looked down at him. "Yes."

If Zane recalled correctly, and he knew he did, that was the first statement she had agreed on.

"How'd you come here?" he asked as he stood up.

"Traveler's tea." the girl explained.

Zane's eyes lit up. "Gizmo and I also have tea! Would you like some?"

The girl shook her head. Zane could see a faint smile form on her face. "So naive and innocent… No wonder you never questioned anything you've been told."

"Is that what you want me to do?" Zane raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that mean that I must question your words as well?"

His comment only made her smile more visible. "Maybe you aren't as stupid as I thought you'd be. Unaware, yes, but not stupid."

"Father used to call his inventions that, when they didn't work." Zane recalled. "St… upid, was it?"

"Aren't you one of his invention as well?" the girl asked. "Have you ever wondered if he called you that while making you?"

Zane immediately shook his head. "Father would never say that."

"Or, perhaps, your little friend?" she pointed towards Tai-D, something that made the small robot furious.

"Gizmo is family." Zane said. "Family is here for one another."

"I don't see your father anywhere though." the girl hummed. "He prefered him over you."

"Who is 'he'?"

The girl smiled widely. "Zane."

The android couldn't understand. Had she not heard him again? Or did she forget who he was?

"But I am Zane."

Did she forget who he was?

"No. No, you aren't." the girl's tone changed. Any sign of calmness had left. "You're just a copy of him."

"Who?" Zane's tone changed as well. There was a slight hint of fear in his voice. "Who is he?"

"I already answered that question though, didn't I?" she responded. "But I suppose it's only fair that you don't believe me. He did lock you in the basement before he 'mysteriously' disappeared, no? Tell me, 'Zane', what is it that you remember of that day?"

"There were voices." Zane closed his eyes to think. "After he told me to hide and promised to return, there were voices."

Tai-D made some noises of agreement. It was as if he was trying to get their attention.

"Even your friend remembers the one that looked like you." the girl said. "Or should I say, the one that you looked like?"

Tai-D backed away and hid behind Zane again.

"You are not Zane." the girl repeated. "You're just a copy of him. An echo."

"I do not know what you are saying." Zane looked up at her. "But you are making Gizmo uncomfortable. So please… Stop."

"If that's what you want." the girl said and started walking up the stairs. "But remember that all echos come to an end."

"Wait!" Zane called out for her and chased her to the top floor.

The girl emptied a bit of tea from her teapot on the floor. "I'll be seeing you again soon, 'Zane'."


	2. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sunday update, woop!
> 
> This chapter is about the same length as the previous one. However, I can safely say that the next one, which is also the last chapter, is going to be longer.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has left kudos and comments! You guys are what keep me going ^^

The girl didn't lie.

At first, she didn't show up for a couple of days. But one day, she appeared on Zane's window. Then she did again, and again, and again… She'd never stay for too long but every conversation they'd have had something special about it.

If he were honest with himself, Zane was slightly afraid of her. She had never shown any intention of hurting him but the way she spoke and the things her questions made him think of were terrifying. Not to mention that creepy lullaby she always hummed.

Despite the vibe their talks had, Zane couldn't help but wonder… Was she the only one that hadn't lied to him? Unlike Zane's father, the girl came back as promised.

But that couldn't be.

His father would never lie to him. Zane didn't want to believe it.

His mind was intrigued by those thoughts. It came to a point where Zane couldn't focus on the ocean's water while looking outside the window anymore. He couldn't drink his tea without spilling it and Tai-D beat him at chess way faster.

Deep inside, Zane wanted the girl to visit him again.

It was as if a switch in his system had been turned on the moment he first saw her. A new path of his life had been opened for him and he wanted to explore it but he couldn't do it alone. He needed her to get the answers he wanted.

Aside from the girl joining him, his schedule was the same. A bit more crumbled though. The times he had to stop doing something to fix himself or Tai-D up were countless. Rusty gears falling off them became a part of their everyday life.

That didn't stop the girl from helping him upgrade his defense mechanism. "It's just a few basic fighting skills", she had said. There were no screws or nails but Zane assumed that was her way of upgrading him.

That was his favourite part about her visits; When she would show him a new move. Zane was a quick learner and was always in the mood for more. He had learnt how to do backflips, run up walls, throw some kicks and punches.

When the girl left, he would practice them with Tai-D. The other robot wasn't very good at it but it was okay. Both of them were enjoying themselves. It seemed as if Gizmo was more comfortable with testing them out when the girl wasn't present though.

Sadly for Gizmo, she started visiting more and more often as time went by. It even made Zane's interest in counting days grow again. He still didn't know what a calendar was but that didn't stop him from keeping track of them.

Zane also noticed that the girl only visted at night. He wondered if she was keeping her visits a secret from someone. There had been no way of knowing that so far. It was as if the girl didn't want Zane to find out about herself.

"Father used to tell me about how much he loved me every night." Zane told the girl. "It would be around time for that now."

"Do you believe all of those things he told you?" she asked. "You aren't what you appear to be. No… You hold great power that you have yet to find."

"You always talk about how the two of us are alike…" Zane said. "Do you hide that power within you as well?"

"Who would suspect me to have it?" The girl leaned against the wall and stretched her arm. "Oh, Harumi, the poor damsel in distress!"

Zane raised an eyebrow. "Is that what your name is? Harumi?"

Harumi smiled. "We were both given names that don't belong to us." she said. "Me, a decoration meant to amuse the world, a replacement of a princess that doesn't exist. And you, a copy of someone he once loved. An echoing memory. Just a silent echo no one knows exists."

Was that his real name? Echo?

"Your father never loved you." she continued. "You are just a replacement of his son. To him, you are nothing but a reminder of him. Only scrapped metal. Nothing more."

Zane felt his power source wind up faster. "I'm… An echo?"

"You don't have to be." Harumi continued. "I can show you a place where you will be loved. Everyone will look up to you! They'll talk about how great you are and praise you for your skills. They will love  _you_. Not Zane, but the real you."

"Praise… Me?" Zane mumbled.

"If you join me, that is." Harumi said and leaned on the android's shoulder. "The two of us can do great things together. We can take revenge on those who hurt us, on those who forgot about us! What do you say?"

It took a moment for Zane to process Harumi's words. He shook his head slowly. "No… I don't want to hurt father."

Harumi's smirk disappeared from her face. "And here I thought you wanted to be loved."

Zane flinched at her words. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out.

"I hit a nerve, didn't I?" Harumi softened her voice. "Or should I say wire?"

"... You should leave." Zane struggled to say.

The girl didn't have to hear it twice. She stepped on the window and used her tea to create another portal. "You may be the only one in the lighthouse but your memories and feelings echo in it just like you." she said and disappeared, leaving Zane speechless.

Meanwhile, Tai-D lost his balance as one of his wheels detached from its place. The small robot was holding a cup full of tea, which slipped from his hands and shattered to pieces. Gizmo jumped in annoyance and turned to Zane.

"Do you want me to go get some tea, old friend?" Zane asked and got up, followed by Gizmo.

Once he had walked down halfway the stairs, Zane came face to face with darkness. He couldn't understand why but he couldn't get his feet to move. Usually Gizmo was the one to act stubborn once it was dark but the tables had turned.

Was Zane scared? How could he suddenly be afraid of the dark?

Memories flashed through his head.

" _Hide, Zane! I'll be back soon. I promise."_

Why did the only memory that used to give him hope hurt?

" _You are not Zane. You're just a copy of him. An echo."_

Why couldn't he think of anything happy?

" _And you, a copy of someone he once loved. An echoing memory. Just a silent echo no one knows exists."_

Zane found himself curled up in a ball in the middle of the stairs. His entire body was shaking in fear.

" _Your father never loved you. You are just a replacement of his real son. To him, you are nothing but a reminder of him. Only scrapped metal. Nothing more."_

Who was he?

Where was he?

What was his purpose?

Was he loved by anyone?

Was he being lied to by his father all along?

Why had he been visited by that mysterious girl?

_Who was he?_

Tai-D could only watch as his friend - his only friend - hugged his legs and burried his head in them. Gizmo lowered his own head and snuggled closer to Zane to comfort him. If Zane could sob, he would.

Suddenly the lighthouse didn't feel like home. It felt like a prison. Wasn't that its original purpose, after all?

The questions kept repeating themselves in Zane's head. Echoing in it. It seemed as if there was no actual answer to any of them.

All Echo Zane could feel was pure fear.


	3. Hatred

"Okay. Here's a crazy one!"

Echo Zane perked up at the sound of one's voice. It sounded familiar… But how? He was certain that the voice didn't belong to Harumi.

"What if you wish to ressurect the Devourer? Then, we'll sink it on Nadakhan!"

He looked around the basement. He couldn't spot Tai-D anywhere. "Gizmo?" he whispered. No reply. Echo ran up the stairs as quietly as he could. He never imagined that Harumi's 'upgrades' would come in handy.

Echo was getting closer to the top floor of the lighthouse. He could hear a crunching sound. 'Are they eating our supplies?' Echo asked himself. Although he didn't need food to survive, his father had taught him that invading someone's privacy was a bad thing.

But his father wasn't there anymore.

"Can't do that either." a second, deeper, voice said.

Echo knew he had heard it before. But when? And how? He had never left the lighthouse in his life and the only other two people that had entered were his father and Harumi.

Unless the voices belonged to those who his father went-

Echo shook the thought away. Even if he was correct, he had never seen their faces. There was no way to know.

"Can't wish to do harm, can't wish for more wishes and you can't wish for…" the second voice chuckled nervously, an emotion Echo had gotten used to ever since Harumi last visited. Would he ever see her again? "Love. Which is how I got us into this mess."

Echo couldn't hold his curiousness back. He knew Harumi would be disappointed. 'Never jump recklessly into things you can't get out of.' she had said. Echo didn't care.

He scanned the room. Two people were talking next to  _his_  window. In  _his_  lighthouse. He was quick to spot Tai-D, or rather, Tai-D was quick to spot him. Was Gizmo helping the two strangers?

"All due to just one little glimpse into the future, showing us together." the guy in blue continued but Echo wasn't paying attention. He needed to know the reason Tai-D was helping those people. "Our friends, gone… Our world, torn apart. Look at us! This is all my fault!"

Echo gestured for Tai-D to keep quiet, but his gibberish only became louder.

"Jay..." the female said, glancing at Gizmo.

"I guess we really do end up together, just… Not how I'd invisioned it."

The male sounded hurt. Echo wondered why. Who was he? What did the girl across the table mean to him? Had they been fighting?

"Stop." the female ignored him, now staring at Echo's location. Echo was too caught up in the strangers' backstory to notice.

"I know, I know. You don't want to hear it." her friend replied.

"Stop!" The girl interrupted him. She turned her gaze around, to face her friend. "I mean, stop talking. Did you hear that? I don't think we're alone."

Was she scared? Why would she be scared? Harumi wasn't there. There was no reason to be scared.

Was she scared of Echo?

That snapped him out of his thoughts. As quick as lightning, he ran down the stairs as fast as he could.

"We're not the only ones here!" the girl yelled.

Echo knew he was spotted. He could hear the sound of their footsteps as they followed him. He could hear the old stairs creak as he ran. He found himself at the bottom of the lighthouse. What now?

" _Hide, Zane! I'll be back soon. I promise."_

He remembered his father's words and got inside the basement, shutting the passage that lead to it for the first time in years.

He could hear them at the room he had just exited. He was running out of time. What could he do next?

Echo looked at the ground and saw gears everywhere. It didn't take long for him to realise that those gears belonged to him. He was so panicked that he forgot running caused him to lose his limbs.

Gears… That was it!

Echo hid behind the tall cabinet at the corner of the room, where all the gears were kept.

He made it just in time.

Echo heard the secret door to the basement open. The footsteps grew louder and louder until they stopped. Echo knew they were in the same room as him.

Unlike the footsteps, Tai-D's wheels could be clearly heard rolling on the ground. Was he collecting his gears?

"Looks like a bunch of stuff from Zane's father's old lab."

Echo flinched, causing a box of more gears and old tools to fall, emptying its contents.

The girl knew his name.

" _You are not Zane. You're just a copy of him. An echo."_

Harumi's words repeated themselves in Echo's mind. He wasn't Zane. He was a copy of him.

Still, how did the girl know who he was? All the hints were leading him closer to believing that those two were indeed at the same group that his father followed a few years ag-

"You're right! We're not alone!"

Echo's face peeked from behind the cabinet. He had to take a better look at them.

" _We can take revenge on those who hurt us, on those who forgot about us!"_

Echo tried to block Harumi's words out of his head. If they really were who he thought they were, then maybe he could find out more about who that 'real Zane' was. He could understand himself better. And maybe, just maybe, he could see his father again.

The two backed away slowly. "I thought you were supposed to protect me!" the girl shot at the boy.

"I thought you were over that!" he yelled back.

Gizmo had moved next to Echo, handing him one of his gears. That seemed to make the two strangers shake even more.

" _You are just a replacement of his son."_

Why were they scared?

" _To him, you are nothing but a reminder of him."_

Did they need help?

" _Only scrapped metal."_

Could he help?

" _Nothing more."_

Echo peeked his head from the cabinet completely. "I am Zane. Built to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

The rusty robot left his hiding spot behind and revealed himself to the two strangers. For the first time since he had first saw them, he stood bravely in front of them.

He had to admit, he was scared. It was one of the scariest moments of his life. He gripped the gear in his hand tightly. Echo glanced quickly at Gizmo and was reminded that he wasn't alone.

He wasn't alone.

The guy's frown turned into a smile. "Zane?"

Echo perked up. Was he calling him Zane?

The guy sighed in relief. "When Zane's father was trapped here, he must have built a replacement Zane!"

Replacement?

" _You are just a replacement of his son."_

'Not now, Harumi. Stay quiet as you've been taught to.' Echo thought to himself.

"Great." the girl rolled her eyes. "Another knight in rusted armor."

Echo tilted his head. The girl's words amused him, unlike Harumi's. Both of them sounded annoyed, but the girl in front of him looked greatful he was there, if anything.

"Rusted, maybe. But can he still protect?" the guy in blue asked.

Echo felt his heart skip a beat. He turned around and kicked the air. He threw multiple punches, one after the other. Echo was about to perform his favourite kick once again, but he fell on the floor. He had lost too many gears.

"Built to protect what? Itself?" the girl asked while the two moved closer to him.

Gizmo jumped and shook a few gears in the air. Was he asking them to help rebuild Echo?

"Who knows?" the guy continued, always keeping a smile on. "But if the two of us can't figure out my wish, maybe a new prespective might help."

The girl shrugged at her friend's suggestion and couldn't help but smile too.

It was at that moment that Echo felt a warm feeling in his heart, one that he hadn't felt in a long time. He felt safe. Comfortable.

He felt loved.

That's all it took to save him. No Harumi, no fear, no revenge - only a simple visit of two people Echo had forgotten existed. But being saved would cause his echoing existance to continue on, till the rest of eternity.

An echo stops.

It always does.

Perhaps once in a timeline, things would have been different.

It had been a long time ever since he last saw Harumi. Weeks? Months? Who knew? There was no point in knowing anyway. He was an echo. He would fade away one day anyway.

" _Your father never loved you."_

He had never been loved.

" _You are just a replacement of his son."_

He was just a replacement.

" _To him, you are nothing but a reminder of him."_

A reminder of someone else.

" _Only scrapped metal."_

A rusty soul, in a rusty body.

" _Nothing more."_

Nothing more.

It seemed that even Harumi had given up on him. Echo wasn't sad.

He was angry.

He was angry that he allowed himself to trust someone so evil. He was angry that he had allowed himself to live his entire life as a lie. He was angry because he was replaced. He was angry because he was lied to. He was just angry.

Who was there to blame?

Echo could feel his oil boiling in his body. He had to let that anger out somewhere. But where? He couldn't even move without his gears falling off and spreading everywhere.

It was rare for him to leave the top floor. Going down the stairs required too much energy. Energy he didn't have. But he was forced to, or else he wouldn't be able to fix himself up. Somehow, he managed to carry all the tools he needed upstairs.

One day, when he came up from the basement, he saw her; Harumi was sitting on his window, just like she used to.

Echo felt his heartbeat stop.

"You left me." he told her.

Harumi rolled her eyes, as if she didn't know what he was talking about. "I take it that you have reconsidered my offer?"

It was true: He had thought about Harumi's offer countless of times.

" _We can take revenge on those who hurt us, on those who forgot about us! What do you say?"_

Harumi started visiting again. From then and forward, however, she wasn't showing him new moves. She wasn't talking to him about being 'praised' or 'saved'. She was only focusing on things that seemed to get Echo on his nerves.

It had been weeks and Harumi hadn't changed her act. Her questions about Echo's surroundings became even more frequent, and she seemed especially interested in Tai-D's habits.

Echo didn't want to bother to ask why. He didn't care. How could he not care about his only friend though?

Once again, Echo was playing chess with Gizmo. Harumi was sitting at one of the chairs, watching them.

Echo was trying his best to beat hs friend at a match, but as expected, he was the one losing match after match.

Echo had him that time. He'd move his queen to the left and-

"What?" Echo tilted his head to. Gizmo's Knight was threatening Echo's King, which meant game over for Echo. "When did you-"

"Tai-D is cheating."

"Huh?"

Harumi rolled her eyes. "I said, Tai-D is cheating."

Gizmo shrugged, causing one of his arms to fall off.

Echo's eyes widened. "You… Were cheating?"

Gizmo looked away from Echo and glared at Harumi.

"It looks like even the only one of your kind here, considers you to be a fool." Harumi smirked. "What a shame."

"You cheated!?" Echo's vocie became louder.

The smaller robot, not knowing what else to do, nodded slowly.

It all clicked in Echo's head. The reason he could never beat Tai-D wasn't because his friend was a good chess player. It was because he had been cheating ever since the very beggining. Not just in this game, but in all their games.

"You've been cheating at chess ever since father was here!?"

Gizmo didn't make a single sound as a response. Instead, he looked down in embarassment.

"Answer me!" Echo yelled, his voice echoing down the lighthouse.

Tai-D, as scared as he could be, jumped off the chair. As expected, the moment he made contact with the ground, his wheels detouched from his body.

Echo ignored the robot's calls for help. He turned around to face Harumi but she was already gone.

Something changed that night.

Echo didn't bother to fix Tai-D that day. He just rested on his favourite spot at the window, looking outside at the ocean. Lightning hit the water's surface, causing the entire sky and ocean to light up. It was as if the two elements were working together.

For some reason, Echo felt betrayed by them.

It wasn't until the next day that Echo found himself fixing Tai-D. Tai-D had stopped trying to get Echo's attention. Harumi dropped by and pointed out how quiet the lighthouse was without the poor and helpless little robot. That was what reminded Echo of him.

He picked him up and placed him on the table. Carefully, he screwed his wheels and arm back to his body. Thankfully, there was only minor damage in his control panel.

"Why are you fixing him?" Harumi asked. She was resting her head on her pale hand, slightly tilting it. "I thought you were mad him."

"For someone they call 'The Quiet One', you sure do talk a lot." Echo said as he placed down the wrench.

That silenced Harumi. At first, she looked shocked, but then, she started giggling. "I haven't betrayed you though, have I?"

"You disappeared for weeks." Echo talked back.

"I never said I wouldn't." Harumi jumped on her feet. "Unlike your beloved father."

The android looked away, focusing on Gizmo's panel.

"Those 'ninja', as they call themselves, took him away from you." It was the first time Echo heard a word to refer them to. "They led your father into a trap. Now he is never coming back. They are the reason for your suffering."

Echo squinted his eyes closed.

"It's not just you that they hurt… Poor Killow was mutated by that Dark Matter they unleashed. And poor Ultra Violet, lost her home when the city  _they_  destroyed was rebuilt. Poor Harumi…" Harumi's tone became more threatening. "They took my family away from me!"

Echo held onto the panel's door more tightly. Gizmo struggled to move but Echo's grip was too tight. It was almost as if he was crying in pain for help.

"Did you know that Zane is one of the ninja?" Harumi asked. "He is the one your father loves. If he had been out of the picture, then maybe your father could have truly loved you." the girl placed her hand on Echo's shoulder.

She leaned closer to Echo's ear and lowered her voice. "Did you know that Tai-D helped him escape with your father?"

It a matter of seconds, Echo shut Tai-D's panel closed as forcefully as he could. It made a loud thudding sound that Tai-D didn't react to.

Gizmo didn't react to anything after that.

"Where can I find him?" Zane growled.

"Your father?" Harumi teased, pulling away from him.

" _Zane_."

The girl smiled in amusement. "Accept my offer, and I'll tell you everything I know."

"It's a deal."

* * *

"Is  _he_  the one you have been visiting for the past year?" a girl in purple huffed once she faced the rusty nindroid at the entrance of their hideout. "He won't even stand  _looking_  at Killow!"

Echo scanned his surroundings, curiousness taking over him. The place Harumi had brought him to was big. There were many people dressed in black clothing, with a strange symbol on their backs.

"He is perfect." Harumi said.

"'Perfect'?" Ultra Violet raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed." Harumi confirmed. "He might even be more powerful than any of us here."

Ultra Violet glanced at the newcomer once again. He jumped as a tiny rat walked by him. "He looks innocent to me."

"Are you doubting me!?" Harumi raised her voice.

"N-No!" Ultra Violet gasped. "Of course not!"

"Good." Harumi spoke normally again. "Because soon, he will be one of our most deadly members."

Harumi gestured for the android to approach them and Echo didn't have to make her say it twice.

He scanned Ultra Violet from head to toe with his shiny eyes. "You must be Ultra Violet. I am Echo Zane."

"No." Harumi interrupted. "From now on, you are Mr. E."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. E? Mystery? Perhaps an Echoed one? :D
> 
> So, this was my take on Echo Zane's story! I hope you guys enjoyed it.
> 
> To those who were wondering what happened to Gizmo, you've got your answer! (I love this little bud so much regardless of what happened to him here, this actually hurt)
> 
> If you want to see more of my writing, make sure to check my profile out! I'm currently working on another - bigger - Ninjago fanfiction, and I hope to get the 1st chapter out soon!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments! You guys made this fanfic possible.
> 
> Until next time!  
> -Evelina


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